THE KING’S BUSINESS
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Good Night to My Guest “Lay down thy burden with thy robe, O friend, And slip into thy bed as in the arms Of Him who sendeth both the pain and cheer; Draw up thy covers as thou drawest o'er Thy sins the loving mercy ■.of the Lord And lay thee down to rest and sweet con tent; When thou awakest, then I pray thee wash Thy heart of sin; and clothe thy soul in peace, In charity, in purity of mind— To hide thy griefs behind a smiling face And journey forth a blessing to the world,” How He Died “So he died for his faith. That is fine— More than most of us do. But, say, can you add to that line That he lived for it, too? “In his death he bore witness af last As a Martyr to truth, Did his life do the same in the past From the days of his youth? “It is easy to die. Men have died For a wish or a whim— From bravado or passion or pride. Was it harder for him? “But to live—every day to live out All the truth that he dreamt. While his friends met his conduct with doubt And the world with contempt. “Was it thus that he plodded ahead, Never turning aside? Then we’ll talk of the life that he led; Never mind how he died.” —Ernest Crosby.
Is the Young Man Safe ? “Is the young man safe?” the heart-wrung cry Has an age-long ring that brings it nigh. ’Tis the nameless dread at the father’s heart, As he sees his son from the home depart; ’Tis the.burden of many a mother’s prayer For the boy who wanders, she knows not where; ’Tis the harrowing fear that will not sleep Till it plows in the forehead its furrows deep. “Is the young man safe ?” Can he safely tread In a path with crime and pitfalls spread? Can he pass unscathed through the devil’s snares That are clustered thick in the city’s squares ?$ Can he rest secure, when he little knows That .his seeming friends are his subtlest foes? “Is the young man safe ?” when in very truth His path is strewn with the wrecks of youth! Safe? When the State protects the den That gluts its till with the lives of men? Safe? When a man for a paltry toll May set a snare for a fellow-soul? “Is the young man safe?” when our laws condone The “Thou shalt nots” on the slab of stone? “Is the young man safe!” let the Church and State Heed David's cry at the city gate; Let the Church forget its warring creeds And wake to the call of living needs; Let the city guard as its choicest wealth, The young man’s vigor and moral health. God make us wise—for the hour is near When the youth is gone, and the man is here. —Selected
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